6.5x47, 260rem, or 6.5x55?

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HMG

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So after some researching and asking questions (thanks to those of you who talked me outta a 300wm) ive decided on the 6.5 bullet, and the 260 rem cartridge seems best so far. From the 47 and 55's i couldnt seem to find that much info. So my question to all of you would be, what are the pros and cons between these chamberings? Also how is availability of brass?

Thanks for all the info!
 
Just pick one and giver!

Don't think you will have many issues with finding anything (info or components) if you use the resources on this site.

Just make sure that the rifle fits you and feels comfortable, and have fun!

IMO time and dedication to practice is more important than the chambering. Just wish I had more time myself!
 
I went with a 6.5x47. I've yet to recieve the barrel so I can't say whether or not I like it but everything I've read sounds promising. 260 rem will drive bullets faster and lapua brass should be available soon. Depends on what you want to do with the gun I guess.
 
I have both 260's & 6.5 X 47's ..I am not a long range or precision shooter...but here's my take based on my experiance. I would give the accuracy edge to the 6.5 X 47 (I think small primer pocket/good brass/lighter recoil are contributing factors). Case necks on the 6.5 X 47 are a bit longer than the 260 which I also consider to be advantage when loading long bullets. Advantages of the 260 would include greater powder capacity for long range..and because lapua brass will be available soon...consistency may improve.
 
oh geez making me dececied between my girls... ah hmmm my twins 260 and 6.5x55. well hmmm...... i guess with my current highly biased testing the 260 wins in speed in accuacy. biased being 26inch shilen barrel vs 20 inch adam barrelet or something like that.
 
6.5

I have owned all three, sold the .260, and currently in the process of building another 6.5x55. In a short action I would choose the 6.5x47 for the simple fact you can seat bullets wherever the hell ya want and still fit in a short action magazine. In the .260 I sold this was not an option, Bergers were a single shot affair only. If you want the added expense of magazine alterations then a .260 is a great cartridge. In a long action I would certainly go 6.5x55, in a modern action they are fantastic. The 6.5-06, 6.5-284, and .264 mag are serious barrel burners!!!! This would be fine for a pure hunting rifle, but if target shooting is important I would choose the Swede no question.
 
blacktailslayer said:
In a short action I would choose the 6.5x47 for the simple fact you can seat bullets wherever the hell ya want and still fit in a short action magazine. In the .260 I sold this was not an option, Bergers were a single shot affair only. If you want the added expense of magazine alterations then a .260 is a great cartridge.
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Would i then also have problems with ejecting a live round (in .260) from the chamber in a short action if the bullets were seated further out? Or is it only the magazine that would create the problem?
 
my 260 is built on a rem short action, and I need to remove the bolt to eject a 140 berger seated into the lands. not a problem as it is used only for f-class shooting. I quess it depends on what you want to use the rifle for????
 
Any 6.5 er is a good one in my books. All good advice here. Be sure also to weigh in your expected projectile vs rate of twist. The heavies like faster twist like 1-8, 1-7.5. Also weigh in on chamber specs for throat length, vs your action length and feeding style. As said before, match the use and go for it!

So in the 47 or 260 you may be looking at the 130s vs heavier considering performance.
I run a 260AI just because it is really fun to wildcat. Alternately, the next best bet would be the Swede to achive optimal velocities with the heavies with ease and less pressure issues. I believe they just love to eat up the heavier bullets (140s at 2850 and up with 28+ barrels).

Of course being a Savage/Stevens nut it is time to weigh in if you are working on a budget. Stevens SA or LA are easy and more economical to rebarrel, no feeding or mag issues with the centerfeed design even with the ackley version, tight headspace, floating bolt head, peanuts vs mortgage in prelim cost. Cheers. Elky....
 
HMG said:
Would i then also have problems with ejecting a live round (in .260) from the chamber in a short action if the bullets were seated further out? Or is it only the magazine that would create the problem?
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My .260 Titanium I had would not eject a live round properly. It had the typical long throat of the factory rifles and would not shoot worth a crap when seated in further. 10 thou off lands and it would shoot under 1", really well for a lightweight. I was only using the 130 Bergers, the 140's would be even worse!!
 
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i built my 260 off a win mag long action. so oal lengths are not important. shilen did a nice job and made a nice long throat(distance from case end to rifling begining) so 140 smk are still in the neck when ready to shoot.
 
So if im using a savage long action for the 260, then all id really need to do is switch the bolt face to 308? And also does it make a difference if its a center feed or staggered? I am looking at using aftermarket bottom metal that would fit the AI style mags, but that would be something thats added down the road. As i cant justify having several rifles sitting around at the moment this gun would be used for both hunting and target, so im aiming at keeping the weight around 10lb or so (max 11) scoped.

As to the twist rate i would like to be shooting something around the 140gr weight.
 
HMG - I know nothing about Savage actions as I have never used one for a build - but am pretty certatin the longest 260 round you could build would eject from any long action platform. You can pretty much just measure the length of the magazine, and whatever fits, will eject.
In my rifles using a 260 Rem standard length SAAMI freebore chamber reamer (0.118 freebore), 140 Berger Match bullets seated on the lands...have an OAL just under 3.0"
Note: the VLD Hunting Bergers are just a bit longer, but I don't have any right now, so can't measure for you. At that length, the fit remains good in the neck, with the bearing surface of the bullet almost down to the neck-shoulder junction. My PT&G reamer has a bit tighter case dimensions and a 0.292 neck.
Not sure about the Savage magazine feed system, but will say that in most cases, single stack magazines feed most reliably. The drawback to many single stack magazines is that you can not easily feed single rounds into the chamber from the top...and may not be able to feed any into the mag from the top.
If you are going to shoot long bullets like the 130/140 gr Berger VLD's, a 1:8 twist is your best choice. Just look on the Berger site and you will find the recommended twist rates for each of their bullets.
Yes, 260 Rem utilzes a 308 boltface.
 
HMG said:
So if im using a savage long action for the 260, then all id really need to do is switch the bolt face to 308? And also does it make a difference if its a center feed or staggered? I am looking at using aftermarket bottom metal that would fit the AI style mags, but that would be something thats added down the road. As i cant justify having several rifles sitting around at the moment this gun would be used for both hunting and target, so im aiming at keeping the weight around 10lb or so (max 11) scoped.

As to the twist rate i would like to be shooting something around the 140gr weight.
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If the choice is to use a Savage action then you can happily use the SA AND it will both feed from the factory mag AND a loaded rds WILL eject out of the action.

Savage SA is actually a mid length action when compared to other makes. The new center feed mag will allow an internal OAL of just under 3" so you can have a 260Rem with 140gr Bergers set at 2.90/2.95" and live happily ever after.

With the Tikka, the Savage SA has the longest '308' mag on the market BUT high cap is a big PITA.

If you go with a bottom metal and an AI style mag, you immediately drop to a 2.8ish" OAL. This is not as big an evil as some think. The gun will still shoot accurately, and you might not even loose any speed - you just need to change your powder choice to suit.

Or shoot 123/130gr class bullets and not worry about it.

Another chambering to add to the confusion is the Hrn 6.5 Creedmore. Again, an answer to a question that really didn't need to be asked but what the hey, it sells stuff.

Enjoy your build - my only tip is price out components, dies BEFORE making your chamber selection. Some new choices have little support in the industry due to 'small' demand.

And what gear is available is much more expensive due to 'small' demand.

They all work, all are superb shooters, all a ton of fun to own and play with.

Pick the bullet weights you want to shoot at whatever speed you feel solves the problem. That will determine the case volume you need to chamber your rig with. Action and mag to suit.

The 6.5 has gone from obscurity in NA to one of the hottest options going. Lots of great answers to the same question.

Jerry
 
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